The second version of my list of the top 100 prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft includes some important updates, from pro days and from learning more about previously injured prospects who were finally able to work out. There also were some adjustments from edition No. 1 based on feedback I've received from league talent evaluators, along with other minor tweaking.
The order of this list might reflect more closely where these prospects could be drafted, but there are cases where prospects could be taken higher or lower, based on positional significance or whether there are early runs at certain positions. We've also introduced several new names to the list, including a few who just missed the cut last time.
But as with last time, there are feelings of regret when I can't squeeze in Prospects Nos. 103 or 104. I kept thinking South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler would have a home in each of my top 100s, yet both times, he was one of the last players on the cutting-room floor. (Which likely means he'll become an All-Pro.)
Here are the ones who did make it.
If the Bears take Williams with the first overall pick, he'd be entering a pretty good situation for a rookie quarterback. Chicago was 2-6 in one-score games last season. Could he be the difference?
The Marvin Harrison Jr. vs. Malik Nabers (and maybe Rome Odunze) debate is an interesting one. MHJ has stood on business and skipped most of the pre-draft process. Will he be proven right to take that approach?
He'd be a clear-cut WR1 and sure-fire top-five pick in most other draft classes. Nabers blazing a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at his pro day was the icing on the cake.
I'm doubling down on my Maye appreciation. Even if NFL teams view him as flawed or raw, Maye can be the best passer of this group in the proper environment.
It feels like we've almost forgotten how great a player he made himself into amid all the Harrison/Nabers talk. Odunze might lack the elite traits those two receivers possess, but I'd be shocked if he's not at least very good in the NFL.
Alt is highly polished for someone who only played two-plus years at left tackle, and he's a top-tier athlete for being so tall (he’s 6-foot-9). He’s a future anchor on the line for any type of offensive system.
Daniels didn't blow me away at his pro day, but that's not a reason to drop him. He's likely to be a top-five pick for good reason: Daniels is a weapon.
The more I've watched Murphy, the more I'm convinced he could be a star 3-technique in a slanting, upfield scheme, in spite of his lack of size (6-foot, 297 pounds).
Sam LaPorta provided the blueprint for what Bowers' role should be in the NFL. He's a spectacular yards-after-the-catch playmaker even in a smallish frame. You’ll hear the phrase “offensive weapon” used a lot with Bowers going forward.
Turner has a decent chance to be the first defender drafted. He's in need of some technique refinement, but Turner's athleticism puts him in that "potentially special" category.
Thomas had 1,177 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns on only 87 targets at LSU in 2023. If he'd been in almost any other offense, he might have topped 1,500 yards. I think he's the fourth potential game-changer at receiver in this class.
His length and ball skills are exactly what teams are looking for in a CB prospect. You'd think the level-of-competition questions would have been quelled by his Senior Bowl showing, but it doesn't quite feel like he's receiving elite corner respect.
I might have been a tad too harsh on Latham in the previous top 100. He's a thick-bodied mauler with decent movement skills, although he will succumb to quick-twitch rushers now and then.
I like Quinyon Mitchell a touch more, but Arnold's potential shines the more you watch him. It's easy to get hung up on his mistakes, but don’t forget he’s still only three years removed from high school. He’s a fierce competitor in a compact but very athletic build.
I think he'd be a top-10 slam dunk if he was a little longer (he's got 34 1/2-inch arms). Even so, I'd try Fautanu first at tackle; if that doesn’t pan out, he still could be a Pro Bowl-caliber guard in time.
There might not be a ton of special in Verse's game, but he's always cranked up, he can handle the physical rigors of the NFL and he kept an underdog-style chip on his shoulder in his play at FSU after transferring from Albany. He's not quite top-10 worthy for me, but he's not far off.
Fuaga is a beefy, average-length mauler who might only really struggle against elite speed rushers. Some might argue for him to be kicked inside, but right tackle looks like a good spot to start him out at.
McCarthy remains a highly polarizing prospect. He really only carried Michigan on a few high-leverage drives, but NFL teams appear charmed by the possibility that his rare intangibles will uplift his good-to-very-good tangibles.
The athletic traits and measurements are elite (save for his 8 1/2-inch hands), but Fashanu is more toolsy than fine-tuned right now. For a patient team, Fashanu could become dominant eventually, but he might lack elite finishing ability early in his career.
He's a massive man and a better athletic tester than the similarly sized Orlando Brown Jr., but is Mims assertive and polished enough to start as a rookie? That might be the only thing that keeps him out of the top 20.
Chop's get-off is amazing. If he was a better finisher and a tad bigger, Robinson would be a top-10 pick. He's got, as my late friend Terez Paylor would say, the juice.
The feedback on DeJean’s strong pro day workout -- his first on-field action since November -- could make the difference between his being a Thursday or Friday pick. He's more of a hybrid defender for me personally than a true outside, lockdown corner. I’d use him how the Lions used Brian Branch last year.
It's really hard separating all these tackles, and each of them have worthy superpowers as prospects. But even with a good Senior Bowl week, there's a nascent quality to Guyton's game that could extend his developmental timeline a little.
Mitchell deserves a lot of credit for making the most of his final college season, earning a bigger role at Texas, finishing the season on fire and testing through the roof athletically. The Longhorns just didn't get him the ball enough. Round 1 feels pretty likely now.
I could see some defensive coordinators griping about his tackling a bit, but Wiggins can fly -- and even if you beat him, he can catch up. He’s good in press but lacks the ideal strength and frame right now.
Barton’s a high-floor, lower-ceiling prospect whose transition back to center shouldn't be a problem. He is what he is physically, but mentally, he looks NFL caliber, ready to play the pivot at a consistently respectable level.
He lacks just a little explosion, length and strength, but McConkey is so darned sudden and displays true savvy in the way he manipulates and carves up defenses. He has a very high floor if the injuries that dogged him in 2023 are fully behind him.
Kool-Aid isn't the fastest or the biggest, but he's answered questions about toughness by testing despite a foot injury, and his natural coverage ability could sneak him into Round 1.
Why the big move up? Well, his athletic testing numbers were better than expected, and his medical evaluation at the combine was positive. I think there's a good chance he ends up being the fifth QB taken in the first round. Penix can spin it as well as anyone in this class.
I really like the player but still don't have a great feel for how NFL teams view him, medically speaking. I'm not bailing on him as a hell-on-wheels pass-rush prospect, but I’m definitely hedging a tiny bit.
It wouldn't totally stun me if Pearsall went in the first round. He doesn't quite have a complete résumé because of the offense he played in at Florida, but all the traits are there for him to be explosive on the next level.
Robinson can crack the first round if the right team with the right system can envision the right role, which could include kicking down inside the way Arik Armstead did after he reached the league.
Newton's foot injury really stunted his pre-draft momentum, but I think there's still a chance he could be a late first-round pick. He's disruptive and tireless; he averaged more than 62 snaps per game last season, which is a wild number for a defensive tackle.
With subpar length, Morgan will be a guard on a lot of teams' boards, but he's efficient in pass protection, always tough and typically steady and reliable.
After his Tuesday Senior Bowl practice, I was ready to anoint him our Round 1 savior at center. After checking with sources with NFL teams to see where they have him ranked, I think I might have overshot a bit. JPJ is still an impressive mauler with center-guard skills, but he's limited athletically.
Will Worthy's game-changing speed push him into Round 1? It's a close call; there might be other receivers who are just a little bit more well-rounded. Still, in the right offense, he could be a problem to deal with.
Linebackers are devalued in this era, and the 2024 draft class is perhaps not special, but I wouldn't hesitate to use a top-40 pick on Cooper. He might not make defensive calls in the NFL, but his length and explosion are exciting traits.
The tough, smart Nix is best when he's reined in and allowed to thrive within a structured system with YAC weapons. The more Nix freelances, the less I'm a fan of the product. There's still a chance he ends up in the first round.
Football's just in his blood, and Beebe lined up and played effectively at every position except for center for the Wildcats. In the NFL, he's a guard projection -- and a darned good one.
His pro-day testing numbers were underwhelming, but Nubin has good size, a nose for the ball and excellent hitting ability. I suspect he'll be a better NFL player than he is an athletic tester.
He's just below the ideal size threshold after running in the mid-4.5s at his pro day, although it's hard to know if Rakestraw is fully healthy yet, given the groin injury that impacted him at the combine. Round 1 might be too big a leap right now.
He's naturally gifted and has all the size required to be a good right tackle. Suamataia just lacks a killer instinct at times and sometimes looks slow to process stunts and blitzes. There might be a learning curve here.
Fiske is an absolute buzzsaw who has made the most of his pre-draft process. But his size and past injuries are limiting factors.
He’s a squarely built plugger with enough power to offset his lack of length. Frazier will win points for toughness and smarts, but his athletic limitations cap his appeal somewhat.
A tough, hard-nosed competitor in a wiry frame, Lassiter doesn't wow from a ball-production standpoint. And while he has been pretty handsy at times, he can upgrade a secondary that emphasizes rerouting receivers. Running in the mid-4.6s at his pro day didn't help his cause.
Colson mixes the right combination of athleticism and size for him to be projected as a three-down starter eventually. He was the tone setter for an elite Michigan defense, very adept at making the expected plays -- and just a little more.
Late Round 1 might have been his destination had he not suffered a torn ACL in November. Even coming off the injury, he's still only 15 slots outside of Round 1 on this board. It won't surprise me when Brooks is the best all-around back in this class.
Legette is a thick, powerful, explosive talent whose physical traits, when deployed in the right role, give him a shot to outplay his draft status. The NFL's revised kickoff rules also open some more doors for him at the next level.
A highly active and instinctive rusher who flattens down the line in a flash, Isaac might need a year of adding bulk to be ready for full-time duty. But he has the necessary temperament.
With terrific athleticism, just enough length and a feisty, competitive style, Melton checks a lot of boxes. I thought his Senior Bowl showing sealed up a Day 2 selection, and he's done well in the interview process with a few teams I've checked with.
He opened some eyes at the Senior Bowl. When I called around about Kneeland, the sense was that he might not get out of Round 2. A developmental talent to a degree, but a really interesting one.
Slender speedball with a finesse game who won't win a ton of physical battles at the catch point. Franklin might be better suited as a downfield complement than as the featured option.
His recent DWI arrest figures to be a late concern for NFL teams. He can be a two-down force, but Sweat now faces potential accountability questions just a few weeks from the draft, with a lot of the scouting hay already in the barn.
With decent size and more explosion than true burst, Polk could be a valuable third option in an NFL passing game, just as he was in the Huskies' high-octane offense. I don't think he'll ever be a star, but Polk is ascending.
Sanders is a position-less receiving threat who can carve out a role in an offense, much the way Evan Engram and Isaiah Likely have in the NFL. Sanders' 40 time was a disappointment, but it's easy to see how his athletic traits can be weaponized by a smart offensive coordinator.
He's a hot name right now after testing better than expected at the combine. Bishop's tape is really clean, and he's a sneaky Day 1 starter candidate who could go as high as Round 2.
A three-year producer who was asked to shoulder a big share of the Hilltoppers' load in a Deebo Samuel-like role, Corley can do the same sorts of things in the NFL but lacks Deebo's elite contact balance and finishing ability.
Running a 4.5 40 at his pro day was a good development for Hicks, who has spent more time in the box than deep but also might have some untapped coverage ability and range. He's also a quality blitzer.
He's not a true separator, but Coleman displays some explosiveness and fairly elite body control for such a physical wideout. I'd put his projection somewhere around two 2023 third-rounders: Michael Wilson and Cedric Tillman.
There's something very appealing about a physical specimen with a lot of tread left on their tires, such as Wright. He has fewer than 400 college touches but has the burst to be a good half of an RB tandem if he can display better ball security.
Jenkins is a rotational defender who played some of his best ball during Michigan's run to the title. He might never be truly special if he can't root down better vs. power, but Jenkins has some traits that could lead to better rush production in the NFL than he had in college.
Shorter-framed, old-school battler whose tank never seems empty, which is impressive for a player who won 13 games in five college seasons. Haynes stood tall in his Senior Bowl battles, not backing down when defenders tried to intimidate him.
Wilson is a smaller-bodied slot receiver with excellent quickness and change-of-direction ability. He was Michigan's WR1, but if he were in a more prolific passing game, he could have put up bigger numbers. A good underneath option in the pros.
He's not quite the sum of his parts yet, and he carries some risk as a one-year producer, but Braswell figures to at least be a rotational rusher with solid special teams versatility.
Sure-handed F tight end with so-so length who can use his body control and underrated quickness to be an effective receiver. To me, he plays similarly to 2023 second-rounder Luke Schoonmaker.
Total wild card who has the best chance of all the likely Day 2 edge rushers to become a Maxx Crosby-like performer, but with so little tape and experience, Booker is a projection prospect. Weighing in at 253 pounds and running two sub-4.8 40s at KU's pro day helps.
Even with short arms (30 1/2 inches), Wilson looks like an early Day 2 prospect -- if you ignore the injury history. Alas, we cannot, but I suspect he's likely going to outplay his draft status at some point.
Sainristil is an instinctive, highly competitive slot corner whose lean build is a bit of a concern. When you flip on the tape, though, he always seems to be impacting the game in one way or another. A coaches' and teammates' favorite who can will his way to NFL success.
I appear to be higher on him than some NFL people I spoke to, hence the notable drop down, but he’s still a favorite of mine. I've made the comp before, but I'll make it again: McMillan reminds me of Jakobi Meyers with his frame and smooth style.
Though a power-forward build and 44 career starts at left tackle can take a prospect a long way, Paul's tape reveals a block catcher with some passivity to his game. I've come up on him but remain a bit ambivalent about his ceiling.
Trice cut major weight before the NFL Scouting Combine, but it didn't net the testing results he was surely hoping for. At his pro day, he was back at 259 pounds, which better matches his power-based game.
The former five-star recruit has some fans in the NFL scouting community, to the point that he might even sneak into the back end of Round 2. I wish he dominated more for the Irish, but the skill set is NFL-starter quality.
Bullock is instinctive and has a patterned history of finding his way to the ball. But because of his tall, lean, CB-like build, projecting him is not as easy as it would seem.
Green-but-ascending talent who had some disruptive flashes at the Senior Bowl, Hall could develop as a hard-charging 3-technique, even if he won't be instant coffee in the NFL. From team sources I've spoken with, the former Buckeye also has displayed some maturity in interviews in spite of his age (20).
Tampa is a long-levered corner who might project best to zone schemes. His play really seemed to drop off in his final few games, and his tackling is a bit too inconsistent for my taste.
Corum is a pinball back with a winner's mentality and a whatever-it-takes approach, which means he also muscles up in pass protection. He lacks a second gear but could follow the Zack Moss path to success in the league, making up for a lack of outstanding speed or size by running hard and with good vision -- and earning a bigger role gradually over time.
Johnson is a rare athlete and would appear to have the dimensions needed to be a Y tight end, even if his take-on strength doesn't translate in his blocking. His best hope might be to emerge in a Logan Thomas type of role.
Bullard is a good player in a smaller package, and his 40 time (4.47 seconds) answered speed concerns. His ceiling might be as a Jordan Whitehead type of safety: smart, tough and reliable.
As we saw with Bryan Bresee last year, college production for interior linemen can be misleading -- a lack of eye-popping numbers doesn't always say much about a player's pro potential. Orhorhoro isn't quite as naturally gifted as Bresee, but his athletic traits are quite appealing and support projecting him as a wave defender capable of making more impact plays.
It wouldn't shock me if in five years we're talking about Smith as one of the Day 2 steals of this draft class, because he's better than his 2023 tape showed. You saw more of his true ability down the stretch last season. But considering his incomplete body of work, he carries some risk.
Leaving him off my initial top 100 was a mistake. Benson is a well-built back who'll hit for a high slugging percentage with his speed. That said, he looks like a two-down back, and there is a lack of creativity in his run style.
Abrams-Draine is a converted wideout who has developed a darned good feel for coverage, even if his best home might be in the nickel, because of his small frame. His only serious tests last season came on 50-50 balls vs. bigger receivers.
Dorlus was a bit miscast in Oregon's defense as a 3-4 end, where his lack of length sometimes showed up against offensive tackles. He could be a more dangerous 3-technique in a gap-shooting NFL system.
He got picked on a bit in 2023 (SEE: Mizzou, Louisville games), and he lacks ideal size (5-foot-11), but Phillips was limited in Kentucky's zone-heavy scheme and might be a better fit inside in the NFL.
With good athletic traits in a compact frame, Wingo has the ability to be a far better pro than college player, even if he might take a season or two to crank it up. He showed toughness returning from injury late last season and was respected inside the program.
A so-so pro day catching the ball only muddies the profile of Walker, who has all the physical ability to dominate but might be best cast in Year 1 as a pet project for a patient WR coach. I'm not sure that guarantees him a Day 2 draft slot.
Though he played tackle in college, Puni likely will kick inside in the NFL. His middling length and athleticism should be fine at guard, where he can best harness his movement skills.
Intriguing prospect (and former high-school QB) whose size, natural hands and natural feel for the passing game could make him a fairly reliable pass catcher -- though Wiley's blocking chops are still in the developmental phase.
Jones is a long, strong right tackle, who is too upright and can lose his balance at times but has enough athleticism to be tried outside before needing to move him inside.
Though he might not grade as highly as Antoine Winfield Jr. overall, there are shades of the Bucs safety: Smith is undersized but just always seems to be around the ball, including in the Senior Bowl game, where he had two interceptions. Small but tough and reliable.
Another low-volume back with big-play ability, Lloyd has some untapped receiving skill and could be an ideal change-of-pace back if he can improve at ball security and stay healthy.
The biggest question regarding McCormick is about the level of competition he faced at South Dakota State, because he's a three-time team captain who is a natural pass blocker with very good testing numbers.
As a converted linebacker, Stover's impressive feel for pass catching might get him drafted on Day 2, especially in a thinner TE class. He's not going to give you a ton as a blocker, but the effort is at least there.
A quad injury that kept him out most of the season has hindered his pre-draft momentum and hurt his projection, but Amegadjie has a combination of mass and power you simply don't find every day.
Explosive athletic tester and rangy defender who could be called on as a blitzer. He's shaky in coverage and will bite on play fakes but has the goods to carve out a role.
He might be more Pop Douglas than Tank Dell, but Washington blazed a 4.26 short shuttle at his pro day and could be a great fourth option in a spread passing game.
Foster has the length to play tackle, which is where he spent his college career, and he's quite technically sound, but a lack of athleticism has some teams I've spoken with thinking about him at guard.
It's a leap of faith, vaulting Elliss into the top 100 after he's been rehabbing his shoulder, but there's some rush potential to get excited about. Sort of Yannick Ngakoue Lite, if you will.
Ulofoshio has overcome multiple injuries. He has solid athletic qualities and, as one source characterized it, a selfless, blue-collar approach. Both should help him make his mark in the league, but will it be as a three-down linebacker or core special teamer?
The 2023 Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year is a tricky NFL evaluation with a frame that is short and stout for a pass rusher, but his production and surprising power give him a chance to make it. He tends to win a lot looping inside on stunts and making backside effort plays.
OUT:
- Jermaine Burton, WR (No. 85 in Version 1.0)
- Cam Hart, CB (No. 86)
- Kamren Kinchens (No. 88)
- Christian Mahogany (No. 90)
- Elijah Jones (No. 93)
- Isaiah Davis (No. 95)
- DeWayne Carter, DT (No. 96)
- Javon Baker, WR (No. 97)
- Isaiah Adams, OG (No. 98)
- Jalyx Hunt, Edge (No. 99)
- Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (No. 100)